Soil conservation for hilly-land farming systems
1991
Paningbatan, E.P. | Guinto, D.T. | Comia, R.A. (Philippines Univ., Los Banos, College, Laguna (Philippines))
The nature of the agroclimatic environment and crop management practices of hilly land farmers in the Philippines are conducive to severe erosion. Unless acceptable, cropping system alternatives with built-in soil conservation and rehabilitation measures are adopted, land degradation and the impoverished living condition of these farmers will continue to worsen. Alley and multistorey cropping systems are soil conservation-oriented agroforestry systems that are appropriate for farming hilly areas. Alley cropping which involves planting of shrub, tree or leguminous hedgerows along the contours and agricultural crops in the alleys has become acceptable to hilly land farmers in some parts of Mindanao and the Visayas [Philippines]. Multistorey cropping which involves growing of a combination of annual and/or perennial crops of different heights, canopy and rooting patterns to maximize use of sunlight, nutrient, and water and minimize erosion, is successfully done in the rolling areas of Cavite and Batangas [Philippines]. In alley cropping systems, erosion rates on steep slopes can be brought down to a tolerable level when other soil conservation practices such as contouring, mulching, minimum tillage, and waterways are incorporated in the system.
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